


One Afternoon

by SummerLeighWind



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon Compliant, Child Abuse, Gen, Kid Fic, Pre-Marauders' Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-09
Updated: 2015-10-09
Packaged: 2018-04-25 15:09:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4965694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SummerLeighWind/pseuds/SummerLeighWind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One summer day, Poppy gets an unexpected visit from an old friend's daughter and her young son.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Afternoon

It was the quiet scuff of boots on stone that drew Poppy Pomfrey away from tending to her flowerbeds one late summer morning. Swiping at the sweat along her forehead as she turned her head, the woman blinked at the sight.

There was a gangly woman dressed in black with a little child that was as thin as a match stick seated on her hip.

"Hello, Aunt Poppy," the woman mumbled.

The voice brought back memories of an awkward, but dreamy girl she'd known once long ago. However, as Poppy got to her feet and approached, she was disappointed to see that there was very little of that girl in the woman. It had seemed whatever life she'd taken up since she ran away seven years ago had not done her well.

The bruises peaking out from beneath her collar, spoke to that.

"Eileen?" she whispered.

The woman gave a nod, a small smile bringing a pleased light to the woman's dark eyes.

Poppy leapt to hug her then, but Eileen flinched. Taking a step back, horror flashed across the woman's features - as if even she felt betrayed by her own actions. Poppy had always been safe. She'd always been the one person Eileen could trust to never hurt her.

But it seemed time had made her body forget.

Pushing forth a smile in response, Poppy turned to the tiny thing clinging to Eileen. "Who's this, dear?" she asked.

Eileen bounced the child, making them peek out from behind a curtain of black hair. "This is Severus," she introduced, some pride coming to her voice. "He's my little wizard."

This caused the little boy to perk up. His hair parting, Poppy had to use all her strength not to gasp at the pair of black eyes the little boy had. A child his age should never have such violent injuries. "I help Mummy with potions," the boy said. "Wizards make lots of those."

Eileen used a blue and purple mottled hand to tuck her son's hair behind his ears. "That's right, they make many potions," she agreed. Then, with that same prideful voice she'd used when introducing him, she told Poppy, "He's very, very bright. He's not even six yet and he already knows all the properties for some of the more common potions - like the Dreamless Sleep."

Poppy tried to still her surprise. Severus certainly didn't  _look_ like he was nearly six - especially not in his mother's arms. Poppy had been guessing he was four at oldest.

Keeping this to herself, though, she made her grin go even wider as she praised, "My! Isn't that impressive?"

Burying his face back in his mother's shoulder, Severus mumbled something that could have been a 'thank you' as Eileen patted his back.

Gesturing for the front door, Poppy suggested, "Why don't you come in for some tea, hm? We can catch up and I can get to know your little fellow."

Eileen shook her head.

"I just stopped by to see if you could do me a small favor. I have a funeral I need to attend and I can't possibly take Severus. Would you mind watching him for a couple hours?" she pleaded, dark eyes wide and dewy.

Poppy bit her lip. "Where is…his father?"

Rubbing a hand up and down her son's back, Eileen gave a smile that was just far too cheery to be real. "Tobias didn't quite like the fact that I had to go to a funeral. He went to clear his head the other night and hasn't come back. But don't worry, he will! Daddy will always come back to us…" the woman trailed off, the ending of her reply having been more for her son than Poppy.

Uncomfortable, but worried about what could happen to Severus if she didn't take him for the afternoon, Poppy held out her arms. "I can watch him for a few hours," she agreed.

"Oh, Aunt Poppy, thank you!" the young woman gushed as she removed her son from her hip and placed him in Poppy's arms. "I'll pay you back tenfold, don't worry," she promised.

Wanting to fret about how light the boy in her arms was, Poppy just gave her old friend's daughter a wan smile. "You don't have to do that, you've done more than enough for my old heart by just stopping by."

Giving her son a kiss, Eileen told Poppy, "I'll be back by seven tonight at latest."

"See you then," Poppy concluded.

And with that, Eileen popped out of existence, leaving the small boy and her alone.

Meeting Severus's shy gaze she asked, "How does some treacle tart sound, hm?"

His eyes shined.

-v-v-v-v-v-

Watching the little boy demolish his second piece of treacle tart, Poppy asked him, "So, Severus, what do you like to do?"

"Potions."

She nodded. "Is that all you like?" she asked, surprised by the curt reply. From her experience, a question like that usually lead to a prattled list of silly things.

Severus, nibbling on the prongs of his fork replied, "It's fun to chase the cats by home, sometimes. But Mummy says I can't cross the street, so I hafta to stop when they go in the road."

Poppy found a smirk working its way onto her lips. "Your mother used to like to chase my old cat when she was a little girl," she informed the child.

"Really?" the little boy inquired.

Topping off Severus's cup of pumpkin juice, she replied, "Oh yes."

Smiling, the little boy said, "Mummy doesn't tell me lots about what she did when she was my age. But she's tells me about Hogwarts! She says you work as the nurse there."

"I do," Poppy confirmed. "And if you don't mind, sweetheart, how would you like to get a checkup from me? Maybe we can see about fixing up your eyes, hm?"

The little boy's face turned very grave then as he put down his fork. "A check up is okay," he whispered, "but you can't fix my eyes. Daddy'll notice when he comes home and get very cross with Mummy. He doesn't like it when she does magic."

Poppy hated hearing this. She hated knowing Eileen had gotten herself into a mess like this one. She hated the fact that she couldn't fix this little boy without bringing out more of his father's ire.

"Okay," Poppy agreed. "I won't fix your eyes. Do you have any other bruises that I could make better for you? Ones your Daddy can't see with your clothes on?"

Severus began to chew on his fingers. "Umm..." he murmured around them. "My legs?"

"Alright," she said with a smile, some of her pain being soothed. "Why don't we go to my living room? You can sit on the couch and I'll check you over."

Bobbing his little head, Severus followed her out of the kitchen and into her orange-hued living room. Pointing him to the couch, she told him, "Wait there a moment."

Pulling himself up on the sofa, Severus did just that as she darted off to the bathroom to get the bruise salve she kept in her medicine cabinet.

Upon coming back, she took out her wand and ran several diagnostics on the little boy. Fidgeting as her wand twirled around him, Severus's eyes took in her living room with a restlessness common to little boys (at least he was normal in this regard, Poppy thought with relief).

When done, she sighed. He was malnourished and had a number of superficial injuries. Nothing too terrible, she was happy to note. Though, it made her wonder just what kind of state her god daughter was in. Hopefully it wasn't much worse than Severus's. Getting down on her knees then, Poppy didn't miss the way the child tensed.

"It's alright, dear," she told him. "I'm just going to roll up the legs of your pants and take care of those bruises of yours, okay?"

Face weary, he nodded.

To make things easy for the boy, Poppy made her work fast; rubbing in the salve gently, but expertly. When she was done, she sat back on her haunches to watch.

A minute or two later, his legs were pale and unmarred.

"That's wicked," Severus exclaimed with appreciation as he poked at his knee. "I wish I had my own tin of it..."

Poppy didn't hesitate. "Have this one," she offered. "I can get more easily."

Severus frowned. "Daddy says we can't take charity."

Pressing it into his tiny hands, Poppy told Severus, "This is a gift, sweetheart. That's not charity."

"Okay..." the little boy relented as he wrapped his fingers around the tin.

Putting on a big smile, then, she asked him, "How would you like to go play in my backyard, hm? I'm sure I could find something for you to do."

"Do you have a football?" Severus inquired. "I know Mummy says most wizards and witches don't play it, but I've always wanted to. Like the big boys down the road do."

"If you tell me what one looks like, I'm sure I can make one," Poppy replied as she lifted him off the couch and lead him by the hand to her yard.

Listening carefully as he described the toy to her, Poppy drew her wand upon coming to the yard and easily turned a watering can into what Severus wanted.

Exclaiming his delight, the boy gave it a tentative kick. When it rolled away, he beamed. "It works!" he whooped.

Giving a chuckle as she watched him chase after it, Poppy began to plan the speech she would give her god daughter. Poppy had seen her fair share of bruised and battered children come through Hogwarts halls and knew that most of them did not fair well in life. Some of them ended up living pathetic, lonely lives, others took to drugs and the drink, some became notorious criminals and others, many years after they left her halls, would send their own bruised and battered children to her.

Poppy knew her old friend would never allow Severus, a half blood child, to live in their home, but Poppy would. She'd allow not only Severus to live here, she would allow him to thrive here. He could overcome his rough start to life here and become a truly brilliant person in the process.

She knew it was possible.

After a while, Poppy joined Severus in kicking the ball around and when he grew bored of that, she showed him her gardens and told him the name of every flower and plant they saw.

He absorbed it all beautifully, asking questions and like the longer they spoke about her gardens.

By the time five o'clock rolled around, Poppy was preparing to start on dinner for Severus and herself when Eileen walked in.

"Hello," she greeted. "How did the funeral go?"

Taking a seat at Poppy's kitchen table, Eileen reached for the pepper shaker in the middle of the table. Just like she always had as a girl when she came by for tea.

"As well as one can expect of a funeral," she answered. "Where's Severus?"

"I told him to wash up," Poppy explained, "I was going to have him assist me by shelling peas. I thought he might enjoy helping make dinner - like you used to."

Eileen's lips quirked. "I'm sure he would," she agreed. "But we really must be going. Tobias is probably home by now and he'll end up quite cross if I'm not there to put together dinner for him."

Poppy paused. "Eileen..." she started uncertainly. Going over to the young woman, she took her mottled hand and said to her, "Why don't you two stay here? I do have a guest room and it wouldn't be too difficult to convert my sewing room into another."

Frozen to her spot, the younger woman just stared at Poppy. Wide eyed and shocked.

"I-I couldn't," she stuttered. "Little boys need fathers and Tobias really isn't an awful man. It's just when he's upset, or drinks a little too much that things... _happen_."

"Eileen, please," Poppy begged. "I could spend all night telling you about the children that come to me battered and broken and what happens to them and I promise, none of it's good. Fatherless children on the other hand...their paths are more varied - just like unbroken children with  _two_ parents."

The younger woman shook her head. "No, I just couldn't. I love Tobias. He has his faults, but all men do and when he doesn't drink, he's nearly perfect..."

"How often does he drink, though?" Poppy inquired, hardening her voice.

Eileen's eyes flared to life with an angry fire. "Just stop!" she snapped. "This is my life! Not yours and I won't be told how to live it!"

Poppy put up placating hands. "But what about your son's?" she asked.

"I can't believe you!" Eileen hissed. "Now your judging me as a mother? I know what's best for my son, not you!" she shouted as she stood up. Looking around the kitchen wild-eyed, she called, "Severus!"

A moment later, the boy, eyes large and worried, appeared. "Hullo, Mummy," he mumbled.

Stalking over, Eileen grabbed his hand and said to him, "We're going! Say goodbye!"

"Bye..." he whispered to Poppy, looking quite sad.

Blinking back tears, the woman crouched down and gave Severus's cheek a kiss. Poppy had ruined her chance. The likelihood of Eileen coming back to her after tonight were less than slim now. The woman felt she'd lost Poppy as an ally and now, poor little Severus was going to suffer for it.

"Goodbye, sweetheart. Be good for your mummy," she told him.

He nodded solemnly. "I will," he swore.

And with that, the pair left.

Sitting down at her table, Poppy buried her face in her hands and wept for the child's future.

-v-v-v-v-v-

Poppy's heart hammered in her chest as she approached the familiar boy with Lucius Malfoy at the front of her infirmary. Putting on a closed-lip smile as she stopped in front of the pair, she asked, "What do we have here?"

Mister Malfoy, looking rather disgruntled, said, "This is Severus Snape and his arm is broken - according to the dormmate who grabbed him by it."

Nodding, Poppy felt her smile slip away. "I see," she replied.

"Thank you for bringing him here, Mister Malfoy. And Mister Snape, if you don't mind me asking, is your Mother Eileen? Prince was her maiden name," she commented.

From the corner of her eye, Poppy watched the annoyance fade from Lucius Malfoy's face. In its place, a curious glean came to his eyes. Everyone knew the Prince family. They were old blood and having it known that he was related would help Severus's status within his house - even if the boy would still be toward the lower-middle of the totem poll as a half-blood.

"Yes," the child answered, his brows furrowed.

Nodding, Poppy gestured to a bed. "I knew her," she explained. "Why don't you take a seat?"

"Yes ma'am," Severus replied.

Dipping her head at the tall blonde, she said, "Goodbye, Mister Malfoy."

Still looking in Severus's direction, the seventh year said nothing as he turned and left.

Shaking her head in exasperation, Poppy approached Severus and brought out her wand. "How did you break it?" she asked him as she ran a simple diagnostic upon his arm to tell where it was broken.

"Fell," he answered.

Poppy gave him a sharp look.

Severus lowered his gaze.

Sighing, Poppy told him, "It's a clean break. I'll be able to fix it easily enough."

"Thank you, ma'am," he replied.

Getting up, she patted his knee. "It's no trouble, young man."

As she went to work, Poppy wanted ask if he remembered the time he visited her. She wanted to ask him how Eileen was doing, how  _he_ was doing.

But she couldn't.

Because the longer she stared at the child, the more she began to think he didn't remember her at all. But why would he? They only met once and he was so young then. Deciding that it was better not to bring it up, lest it make him feel poorly about not remembering her, like she did him, Poppy pulled away from Severus when his broken arm was well again.

Putting on a smile as she put away her things, she told Severus, "Mister Snape, I want you to know that you can come to me anytime. I'll help you always - even if you're not sick or hurt."

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey," he replied as he got up. "I'll remember that," he promised.

And as she saw the boy out, Poppy knew that what she offered was the best she could do for him now. Hopefully, with her on his side, his life would be a little better than that of his mother's.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and please leave a comment/kudo to let me know what you think!


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